Our little ambassador of love

She scurries off to the dining room mid-sentence (aka the kids’ playroom and craft center) and comes back in no time with two handmade Valentines. One for me and one for my husband. A trail of glitter, scrap paper, and tiny red hearts left behind.

She effusively exclaims that Valentine’s Day is her favorite holiday. The Day of Love she says. And she’s serious. There are hearts scotch-taped to every wall in our home.

Yes, she is the Cupid of our household. The Cupid equivalent of Will Ferrell’s character in the movie Elf.

She’s really good at making us feel special. Showing us how much she loves us, thinks about us, and cares.

So, she has inspired me. To be more like that. To let my actions speak louder than the three words I say often to them…

I love you.

Important to say, yes. But more important to show.

I can’t remember the last time I made a homemade Valentine for someone. Maybe I was 5, just like she is now.

Kids are really great at showing us how they feel, aren’t they?

Sure the tantrums and tears need no words…but also?

When they ask us to play their favorite game with them, want us to snuggle up next to them with their favorite book, or make us a homemade card just because…they are showing us how much they love us. How important we are to them.

So I vow to play more, smile more, and maybe later today, sit down and make that homemade card.

Because I know that I love them to infinity and beyond (our current favorite declaration of love)…I just need to make sure they know I mean what I say.

Thanks to my sweet 5 year old Valentine…our little ambassador of love…for showing us the way.

We need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 hugs a day for maintenance, and 12 hugs a day for growth.